Northants B team are tough nuts to crack

Although they have only taken seven points from their opening two matches in the Derbyshire Trophy, the English Bowling Federation’s inter-county indoor championship, the newly-formed Northants B team are proving a tough nut to crack.

After going down by just two shots against their A team in their opening match, the B squad followed that with another narrow defeat when entertaining Norfolk at Peterborough & District on Sunday.

Norfolk took the match honours 95-85, thanks to a late charge, but Northants won on two of the four rinks and were always in the picture until thaose fateful last few ends.

Northants trailed by four shots after five ends, reduced that to one after ten, and were eight in arrears at the 15 end stage before rallying to lead by one going into the last five ends of the 25-end match.

However, Norfolk took control again over the last few ends, scoring 22 shots to 11 across the four rinks, 17 of them conceded on the rinks of Graham Agger (19-33) and Rod Maplethorpe (18-28).

The home victories came from the rinks of Peter Brown (27-14) and John Holroyd (21-20), whose rink of Mike Ramsden and Michael Humphreys made it two wins out of two.

Both the A and B teams are in action on Sunday week, with the A side entertaining last year’s southern section winners Hunts at Stamford and the B team taking on Lincs at Peterborough & District.

RESULT

Northants B 85 (4), Norfolk 95 (10) – (Northants B rinks only):

Mike Ramsden, Michael Humphreys, John Holroyd won 21-20.

Steve Roden, Jon Earl, Graham Agger lost 19-33.

Les Sharp, Mick Linnell, Rod Maplethorpe lost 18-28.

Cliff Watson, Dick Noble, Peter Brown won 27-14.

ENGLAND TRIALS

Several local players have been selected for the England senior and junior indoor international trials at the Rugby Thornfield club over the weekend of December 2/3.

Local bowler Nicky Brett and his Huntingdon club colleague Lewis Baker are in the senior men’s trial on the Saturday, along with the Doddington-based brothers Rod and Ed Elmore, who play out of the City of Ely club.

There are also three from the Spalding club in the trial – Graham Smith, Matt Whyers and Martin Spencer.

There are no fewer than five Spalding players in the senior women’s trial – Louise Catchpole, Annalisa Dunham, Ruby Hill, Chelsea Tomlin and Rebecca Simpson.

Whittlesey-based Joe Randall, who plays out of the Huntingdon club, lines up in the junior men’s trial on the Sunday, along with Ed Elmore and Spalding’s Jordan Philpott.

Nicky Brett’s daughter Chloe is included in the junior women’s trial, along with Stamford’s Helen Holdroyd, and Spalding trio Ruby Hill, Chelsea Tomlin and Danielle Wild.

CAMBS LEAGUE

There was a comfortable 103-52 victory away to Huntingdon B for the Peterborough & District senior men’s team in the Cambs League.

The Peterborough & District women’s team bowed out at the second round of the Yetton Trophy, the national indoor club championship, losing 48-92 to a strong Spalding team containing several senior and junior internationals.